Electrical connector supporting feed strip



1386- 1957 c. v. PELLIE-R ,81 24 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SUPPORTING FEED STRIP Filed March 31, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 'fle/srmn K354 z nae Arraeya Dec. 3, 1957 c. v. PELLIER 2,815,124

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SUPPORTING FEED STRIP Filed March 51, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 6246/5/74 1% r 224 15/? United States Patent 2,815,124 ELECTRICAL CONNEsCggal l SUPPORTING FEED Christian V. Pellier, Westport, Del., assignor to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Application March 31, 1953, Serial No. 346,008

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-59) My invention relates to a strip for feeding electrical connectors during their manufacture and more particularly, to a feed strip that can be inserted into a crimping machine wherein conductors are crimped to the connectors.

Heretofore, connectors were formed integrally connected to one another. They were then sheared apart during the crimping operation. Consequently, there was left on each connector a sheared edge forming a sharp cutting edge or burr, depending on the condition of the cutting tool. This cut edge subjected the connector to corrosion in contrast to the rolled and harder surface of the original sheet metal. Moreover, if the connectors are plated with a corrosion resisting material such as a cadmium plate, the sheared edge will be unplated and unprotected.

Other serious objections to this type of feeding strip are present. The shearing or separating tool requires frequent sharpening and this necessitates a work stoppage. If the shearing tool breaks, this major repair causes a substantial delay in production. The shearing tool furthermore is a hazard in the operation of the machine it operated by a careless workman.

The burr on the sheared edge prevents a flat stacking of connector tongue sections and increases the electrical resistance. Should a defective connector appear in the strip, its removal is impossible without breaking the strip. Only a single size of connector is possible in such a strip, whereas production may require alternate or different combinations of sizes. Where large terminal tongues are required and the barrels are small, a waste in material results because of the requirement that all barrels be positioned on the same side. Finally, if the connector comprises several loose parts fitted together, such construction is not conveniently possible with present methods.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a feed strip that eliminates the foregoing disadvantages. Other objects are to provide a strip that can be tightly rolled; that can be made of material less expensive than the material of the connectors themselves; that can be provided with means for regulating its advance, especially if different sized connectors are carried by the strip; and to provide a strip from which the connectors can be removed without shearing the connectors.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a strip of my invention upon which are positioned and secured electrical terminal connectors.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation taken through the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mounted connector with an insulating sleeve shown in section.

Fig. 5 is another end view of the mounted connector.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the movement of the strip of my invention into a crimping machine wherein electrical conductors are inserted and crimped connections automatically removed from the strip.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of the crimping dies in crimped position.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the crimped connection.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 10 is a side view of a reel showing the strip spirally positioned thereon.

In my invention, connectors 30 are mounted to the strip 12 and suitably secured thereto. In Figs. 1 to 3 such strip is made of metal that is easily bendable and as inexpensive as possible. An example is metal .008" x /s. made of low carbon steel, 4 hard or medium soft, preferably japanned, lacquered, or otherwise protectively coated, if required. Material of similar characteristics may be made of plastic or paper.

In my preferred construction, I secure the connector to the strip by a pair of prongs 14 and 16 which may be formed by slotting the strip. The prongs are suitably proportioned to grasp the connector in a convenient region, and in the connector illustrated, the neck 20 is selected since it permits the connector to be gripped in a manner which prevents transverse motion and causes an automatic alignment of all the connectors. The alignment is possible because the tongue portion 22 enlarges beyond the neck 20, and the barrel 36 enlarges similarly beyond the neck at the opposite end. The locking position is further insured by positioning the connector so that the barrel portion projects normally across one longitudinally extending edge 24 of the strip which provides an aligning means. The connectors are positioned in a machine, not shown, between the prongs which are then folded over as illustrated to confine the connector.

The strip is provided with an advancing control 26 which may be in the form of an aperture, and which a feeler may engage for controlling the proper advance of the strip after each crimping operation. Such an advance through the c'rimping machine 27 is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, where a sprocket wheel 28 is shown engaging the aperture 26 employed as the advancing control, thus positioning the connector 30 between the crimping dies 32 and 34. In this position the hated. conductor may be fed into the barrel 36, and electrically engage a contact, not shown. This causes the press to crimp the connector to the conductor as shown in Fig. 7 and thereafter advance the strip and crimped connector to the next station where the pin 38 pushes the connector 30 away from the strip 12 which forces the prongs 14 and 16 into the open position they were in when the connector was first placed therein. It will be noted that the strip illustrated in Fig. 1 is in the position required for insertion into the machine Fig. 6. This permits the connectors to be freed from the strip by a downward movement of pin 38 against prongs 14 and 16. No damage need be done to the strip which may be reused if desired after a straightening operation.

The sequence of operations is preferably such that with the movement of the pin 38 which frees the crimped connector 30, the crimping dies 32 and 34 just grip the uncrimped connector 30 as shown in Fig. 6. An uncrimped connector has previously moved into the crimping position when a crimped connector was advanced to the ejecting position under pin 38. Thus the connector 30 is securely held ready for inserting the bared end of an insulation covered conductor therein as is illustrated.

The strip may be tightly wound on a reel 42, shown in Fig. 10. It will be noted that the strip is positioned on the reel so that the prongs project radially from the strip, towards the center of the reel. The curvature of the reel causes the ends of the prongs to close further about the supported connector. Reversing the curvature will cause the prongs to spread apart, and this phenomenon may be used in a machine to separate the articles from the strip by causing the strip to rotate on a wheel of suitable curvature in the direction that opens the prongs.

The article may be made of two different materials which are assembled before attachment to the strip. Thus, in Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated an electrical terminal connector 60 formed of sheet metal into a tongue 62 and rolled up barrel 64, about which may be placed a plastic sleeve 66 which tightly embraces the barrel. Thus when secured to the conductor 68 by crimping, the insulation extends continuously along the barrel and over this insulation of the conductor, a desirable feature in many cases. Such a composite connector could not be possible with a strip of integrally joined connectors.

My strip is useful for conducting electrical connectors and other articles through a machine in fixed position.

From the foregoing it may be seen that connectors may be formed Without burrs which may be sharp and dangerous to handle, unsatisfactory for use and easily corroded. The connector may be assembled of discrete parts not integrally formed from the connecting strip. My invention provides a more uniform operation through the crimping machine with less cost and delays. Defective connectors may be removed before stripping or replaced with acceptable connectors to insure continuous production even when positioned on the strip. Savings in metal may be obtained by requiring less scrap of high cost connector material. Different sizes or types of articles may be positioned side by side on the strip or in any desired sequence. The articles of the present invention may be tightly rolled on a reel without loosening the articles therefrom. The strip may be fed over a curved surface for freeing its article therefrom. The strip may be reused if desired.

The material of the strip may be thinner, more easily bendable, and less costly than the thicker stock from which electrical connectors are usually integrally formed. A damaged strip need not cause a loss of connectors because said connectors may be removed therefrom. The

crimped connectors may be retained on the strip if further need for sequential operation is required, or if a positioned alignment is useful.

Having thus described my invention, I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other Ways Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claim, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained, and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A coil made of a fiat strip of flexible material having a series of pairs of longitudinally spaced clasping means extending therefrom and overlying one face thereof, a plurality of electrical connectors positioned underneath the respective pairs of clasping means and supported thereby, each of said connectors having a tongue portion disposed on the strip and a barrel portion extending laterally beyond one edge of the strip to permit each connector to be crimped on opposite sides of its barrel portion to a conductor, while mounted on the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,064,813 Bloomberg June 17, 1913 1,589,387 Hartford June 22, 1926 1,607,865 Butler Nov. 23, 1926 1,710,393 Williams Apr. 23, 1929 1,851,957 Gilfillan Mar. 29, 1932 1,873,125 Holmes et al. Aug. 23, 1932 2,169,802 Keller Aug. 15, 1939 2,372,072 Flaws Mar. 20, 1945 2,671,889 Vickery Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,746 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1937 

